Latch needle for picking up loops



July 11, 1933 c. FIEDLER 1,913,183

LATCH NEEDLE FOR PICKING UP LOOPS Filed Aug. 17, 1952 Fatented July 11, 1933 UNSTED STATES cunr' FIEDLER, or 'onnivrnrrz, GERMANY LATCH NEEDLE FOR moKINe UP LOOPS l Application filed August 17, 1932, Serial No.

Various constructions of latch needles for picking up loops are known, the latches of which are opened by a spring arranged in a channel of the needle stem. The free end of these springs directed towards the hook of the needle is bent outwards, embracing the end of the latch, so that the closing latch bears on this end, bending the whole spring, if the 10 channel in the needle stem is open at the botchannel is closed at the bottom.

In the first instance the disadvantage results that, when the latch is closed, especially the bent part of the spring comes out below the needle stem, which has proved to be a disadvantage in practice. The projecting plece of the spring hinders the slipping off of the loop, and at the same time the loop to be slipped has an unfavourable influence on this projecting bent part, so that in the course of time the attaching end of the spring is bent off by the latch and so the spring becomes inoperative. Especially in the case of finemeshed fabrics, such a needle for picking up stitches becomes quickly useless.

In the case of needles, on which the springs of the latch are arranged in a channel closed at the bottom, these occurrences need not be feared. However, on these needles only the bent end serves for opening the latch of the needle with the result that the closing of the latch is rendered more dificult, because, as is known, itis more diflicult to overcome the short part of the spring. It is only partly possible to overcome this objection by employment of weaker springs, because the use of too weak springs must, of course, influence the perfect action of the needle. Such needles have therefore proved less satisfactory.

As compared therewith, the needle for picking up loops is, according to the invention, constructed so that the spring bears against the bottom of the channel on the place where it is bent for embracing the inner end of the latch when the latch is closed, so that the part of the spring lying between this place and the fastening place bends.

Owing to this measure the whole length of the spring is utilized on the small space available within the needle stem, in the case of Lil tom and bending only this bent end, if the part 7 of the spring lying between this point 629,166, and in Germany Septeinber'Q, 1931.

needles with springs accommodated in channels closed at the bottom.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanymg drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section,

showing the needle with opened latch.

.Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the needle with latch closed.

An ordinary latch needle 1, which for better handling is fitted with a handle 2, has in its upper portion a channel 3, extending over nearly the whole stem, and completely closed at the bottom. In this channel 3 a long spring 4 is accommodated, which is stretched when the latch of the needle is open This spring 4 is bent at its end 6 directed towards the hook of the needle embracing the'inner end of the latch and connected at the other end to the needle 1 at the point 5 by soldering. The bent end 6 is made so long that it does not come out of the channel of the needle 3 when the latch is opened (Fig. 1). If the latch of the needle 1 is closed by the slipping off of a loop, as shown in Fig. 2, this causes a bending of the end 6 of the spring 4 and the bent part touches the bottom of the channel 3 of the needle stem, so that the middle and the fixation point 5 bends through up to the top, so that the whole length of the spring is used on the small space of the needle stem. The spring at must be made sufiiciently long.

In order to-positively prevent the part7 of the spring from coming out of the channel 3 of the needle, when the latch is closed, a pin 8 or a similar element may be mounted in the needle at right angles to the channel 3 in the needle 1, for instance into the middle of the length of the spring 4; having a free space between this pin and the extended spring 4. Further it would be advantageous to lengthen the channel 8 so that it extends over the whole of the portion of the needle stem with which the loops to be slipped off come into contact so that it is impossible for a loop to catch on the fastening point 5 of the spring 4, as was hitherto the case. If necessary, the

fixation point 5 of the spring 4 may be covcred through the handle 2 of the needle I as shown in Figs. 1 and 2..

I claim:-

1. A latch needle for picking up loops, comprising" in combination a needle stem havinga channel closed at its under side, a latch hingedly mounted in said channel near the end ofsaid stem, and a spring in said channel fixed at its rear end to said stem having a bent-up end extending around said latch near its pivot point adapted, when said latch is in open position, to lie flat on the bottom of said channel and, when said latch is in closed position, to bear against the bottom of said. chan- CURT FIEDLER. 

